At the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), renowned actor Manoj Bajpayee expressed his concern over the diminishing support for independent filmmakers by streaming services. You must be aware that this is the first time OTT content has been given a place in IFFI. So, naturally, there was a discussion on the same.
The actor highlighted the initial promise of these platforms to promote independent cinema but lamented the current trend where blockbuster films take precedence.
Bajpayee reminisced about the early days of streaming services in India, noting that they initially championed independent storytellers. However, he observed a stark shift, stating, “One thing that all streaming services started with initially was that they were making independent cinema but that got lost somewhere.” According to the actor, the focus has now shifted significantly towards big-budget, blockbuster productions.
The veteran actor underlined the importance of mentorship for independent filmmakers, expressing his disappointment at the apparent decline in support from streaming platforms. He emphasized that the independent cinema movement, which once thrived with the backing of these platforms, has experienced a “sad development”.
“The independent cinema movement that started and was getting such mentorship from the OTT platforms is gone. And that is a very sad development,” He said
And if we see the arc of OTT in the last few years then his statement makes all the sense. But, it is less due to hijack and more due to attention. Big production houses and streaming services immediately figured out that OTT content and industry are too important to be ignored. And here we are, again lost in the same labyrinth that stopped the traditional cinema industry from making good content.